A group of five NIH-funded investigators at Oakland University (possessing five currently-funded NIH grants and one pending) request funds to purchase a Zeiss Motorized Axio Imager. Z1 Fluorescence Microscope. The requested instrument will replace a 12-year old, nearly obsolete Nikon fluorescence microscope that is currently being used by the researchers. The new instrument will greatly enhance the ability of the participating investigators to complete the aims of their NIH grants, and to follow any potentially exciting new leads. Types of fluorescence assays to be conducted with the new instrument include various types of immunolocalization assays in lens, retina and cartilage, detection of live and dead cells in lens epithelium, as well as determination of DNA single-strand breaks in that tissue, identification of glutathiolated proteins in lens, and assay of biomolecular fluorescence complementation in retina. The long-term goals of the proposed work are to determine the causes, and seek cures for certain common diseases of aging including glaucoma, cataract, age-related retinal degeneration and osteoarthritis. Each of these diseases represents a major health concern for the elderly population of the United States.